ClipArt Video

Using web graphics on printed material.

With many young designers coming from a pre-dominantly web design background the transfer over from web design to traditional design for print can bring with it a multitude of design sins. Images supplied at 72dpi and crunched down to load fast on a website are going to reproduce very badly in print you can get away with small thumbnails but blowing things up to any appreciable size is going to be pushing your luck. There are a number of online sites offering free or very cheap quality hi resolution images which are a good source for suitable imagery.

Forgetting about or not allowing enough bleed.

A very common error is to send to print a document or flattened image that has no bleed at all. Generally speaking you should allow at least 3mm around every cut off edge. Failing to do so will give the printers no leeway and will either crop off the side of the page or give you a white border. It is always a good idea when supplying image files to save layered psd files then if things need extending or cropping you can do this on the background layer and hopefully cut down your work

Using obscure fonts and not embedding or outlining them for output.

We’ve all been guilty of this at some point and things are generally fine if you are going to be the only person accessing your artwork or documents. However if someone else needs to amend the files or use your vector logo on one of there publications. Unless you package up the used fonts, they are not going to be able to open the files correctly and some software programs may replace any unknown fonts with a default. This is a particular problem when you need to dig out stuff that was created several years previously and you no longer have your old fonts installed.

Supplying print ready artwork using spot colours or rgb

There are valid reasons for using spot colours in artwork, logos that need to reference particular pantone colours for example. In general design work however most print is sent through on 4 colour presses CMYK with occasional 5th colour for luminoius or metallic colour or for spot UV varnish. It is very common for lazy designers to just place rgb images into files and expect the vibrant colours seen on screen to reproduce in print.

Allowing design illiterate clients to lead you round the houses

The customer is always right, goes the old adage. However it is often said with gritted teeth and a sense of patience that recognizes that these morons will at some stage be handing over a fat cheque for your troubles. It is often a good idea when first submitting visuals to throw in a couple of stinkers to hopefully get them to appreciate the design you would like them to accept. There is the very real danger of course of them loving the piece of absolute arsewipe that you knocked up in five minutes to make them think you’ve been earning your money. Still it’s a living.

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One of the most common mistakes that people make when they are trying to brand their own business.  Many new businesses start off on a shoestring and want to save money on a logo design.  So they create it themselves, despite the fact that they have no experience when it comes to graphic design.  They usually end up creating logos using clip art that is available for anyone to use on the computer.  This is a mistake.  Not only do self-created logos lack professionalism, but also the clip art cannot be copyrighted or trademarked.  Clip art is public domain, which means that anyone can use it.  This means that you may end up finding others who are cashing in on the success of your business if you choose to brand this way.

Another mistake that many companies make with regard to branding is to hire a high priced graphic artist.  Computer technology coupled with the internet make it much more affordable to get a professionally designed custom logo for your business.  This is much less expensive than you think.  There is no need to spend thousands of dollars on a custom created logo for your business branding when you can get the same thing from an online graphic design company that specializes in business logos.

Not having a logo is a big mistake that many people mistake when it comes to branding.  They rely on their name only and do not understand the concept of using symbols and design to attract the public and cause recognition in their minds.  Correct branding will cause an association in the minds of the public.  People respond more readily to symbols and designs than they do to just a business name.

One of the worst branding mistakes to avoid is not getting your logo protected.  Your logo design should be registered with the trademark division at your local Copyright Office.  Not doing this can leave the logo that you worked so hard to build in the hands of others.  Unless you have it protected by registering it with the copyright office, you do not have any protection.

Branding your business is the most important concept that you can discover when you want to build your business so that it continues to grow.  However, when you set out to brand your business, you should avoid the aforementioned mistakes that are so common for new business owners.  Have a professional online company that will help you create a professional looking logo for your business for a fair price and then register the logo with the copyright office.  Once you do this, be sure to include the logo on everything that you hand out, including advertising and correspondence, so that everyone will begin to recognize it, thus creating professional branding.

Get started on your custom logo design today www.europelogos.eu

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Designing a logo isn’t easy and should not be taken lightly.  In designing a logo, there are several logo design mistakes that you should avoid making.  Branding isn’t just for big companies that have millions of dollars, many small companies can take advantage of a great logo but you’ll want to avoid these mistakes to insure a great logo.

First, make sure to have a professional designer create the logo for you.  There are many companies that do logo design that can help you design a logo.  By avoiding the use of an amateur, you’ll get a nice clean logo design that will last a long time.  The adage that you get what you pay for is very true in logo design.  You can see the difference that a professional designer can do for a logo.  They have a better understanding of using shapes and color.  You’ll want to hire a designer because you’ll end up with a professional looking logo that you’ll be happy with.  A great logo shouldn’t have to be redone.  It should last a lifetime.

One thing that you should never do in designing a logo is to use clip art.  Pretty much everybody can spot clip art.  Clip art does not provide any uniqueness to a logo.  Somebody could have the same picture in another logo.  Also, designing a logo with clip prevents you from customizing your logo.  The logo will appear to be look unprofessional and most people can tell when clip art is being used in a logo because most people have seen what clip art looks like.

Typography is a big factor in designing a logo.  Choosing the right font to go along with the other design elements is just as important is the design elements themselves.  Avoid using the wrong word, a long sentence, a mission statement or anything unnecessary.  You should also avoid certain words or phrases that could potentially be offensive.  It is also important that you choose typography that you can read.  It really doesn’t make sense to design a logo who’s company name is illegible.

Lastly, you should make sure to design your logo for all media types.  There are lots of different advertising medium and you’ll want to design a logo that looks great in all forms of media.  It would be a big mistake to design a logo for one media type and the logo look terrible on another type of media.  You have to make sure that your logo copies well onto all media types.  Keep in mind that you’ll be advertising in a lot of different places so you’ll want to make sure your logo looks great wherever you put your logo.

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A logo is the ever-present face of your company. Words, type, colors and shapes –these attributes help a logo to communicate a message to potential customers about what your company does and how your company is different from the competition.

Many logos fail to communicate, which eventually creates barriers to successful marketing and advertising. For brand messaging, a company should have cohesive marketing approach of all points – logo, website, brochures, advertising, promotions, etc. If something as seemingly small as a logo lacks the communicative punch, you’re your company is surely missing a huge opportunity to reach out to your customers.

A poor quality logo suggests inferior products and it puts a bad impression in the minds of your customers. Find out if your logo is suffering from any of the six common logo mistakes mentioned below. If you can successfully avoid these common logo blunders, then you are on your way to a successful logo.

1. The Clipart Logo

Many clipart images are widely distributed. Most of us are familiar with the software providing the clipart and will instantly recognize your ‘borrowed’ logo. This is one way to loose credibility of your business.

2. Special Effects Logo

First, strip off all the special effects to get at the heart of the design. A great logo should be able to stand its ground in black and white, without any effects. Draft your concept on paper first. Think about what to present before you decide how to present. After you are pleased with a one-color concept, then produce it digitally. At this point you may not like to add any effect to enhance your logo for web use. Eliminate any effect that does not add value to your design.

3. The Banner Logo

A logo is not your web banner advertisement. You are doing your company more harm than good by forcing your logo into a banner shape, especially if your logo is crammed to fit the entire rectangle.

4. The Text-Only Logo

These types of logos restrict the ability to express your company’s uniqueness. A large established company can pull off text-only logos with exorbitant marketing budgets. Test of your logo’s effectiveness by altering the letters and see if your logo is still recognizable. If not, then you need to seriously consider the visual element of your logo.

5. Monogram

Monograms (company initials) are very difficult to use effectively. It will take a long time to build credibility with a monogram logo. Also, logos consisting of several overlapping letters generally do not do well, and very often they speak too little about your company and the products.

6. The Complex Logo

Logos with complex photos and layouts make poor logos. If you insert any additional information, then it becomes an extra detail for your customers to remember. A simple logo design with solid shades and minimal lines will definitely have greater impact and memorability.

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MORE: www.mydamnchannel.com Donnie Hoyle shows you how to fix mistakes you’ve made. 2008 Webby Award Winner Best How-to Series Best Comedy Series – People’s Voice Best How-to Series – People’s Voice

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